Tiny ‘solar flares’ recreated in the lab may explain corona mysteryThu, 22 Oct 2026 19:00:00 +0000 An experiment has produced nanoflares similar to those seen on the sun, and shown that they can help explain why the outer layers of the solar atmosphere are so hot | |
Earth entered its ‘bad decades’ after dinosaur-ending asteroid strikeThu, 22 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000 We now have a clearer picture of what happened in the decades following the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of almost all dinosaurs | |
All tropical coral reefs could collapse within 50 yearsThu, 22 Oct 2026 13:20:00 +0000 Shallow-water coral reefs are at high risk of disappearing by 2075, the IUCN has warned at a UN biodiversity conference. The loss would decimate fisheries and speed up coastal erosion | |
Adults may be more creative than children – but less confident about itThu, 22 Oct 2026 12:16:04 +0000 We often associate children with creativity, but adults actually performed better on inventive tasks, despite being less sure of themselves | |
Global race to update computers as AI discovers most disruptive hack yetThu, 22 Oct 2026 10:17:37 +0000 More than two thirds of the world's websites are vulnerable to a hack that was first theorised in 2024, which AI has now made very real | |
People are vibe coding copyrighted apps with AI – will tech firms sue?Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:18:25 +0000 Every time a new technology hits the internet, there is a battle between the rights of users and major companies. To see how this will play out with AI, columnist Jacob Aron looks to examples from the past | |
Cholesterol may disrupt the brain’s cleaning system in Alzheimer’s diseaseWed, 21 Oct 2026 19:00:00 +0000 The glymphatic system flushes toxins out of the brain, but this seems to be disrupted in Alzheimer's disease, and cholesterol may be involved | |
Digital scents could add a new dimension to virtual worldsWed, 21 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 It's now possible to convert a handful of smells into electronic signals that can be sent through the internet | |
Falling sea levels due to El Niño will hit mangroves and coralsWed, 21 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000 As sea levels rise in the eastern Pacific, they are falling around Australia and the Coral Triangle, leaving some mangroves and corals high and dry | |
Twisteddoodles on a cat’s-eye view of scienceWed, 21 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000 This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles | |